Body for transporting concrete



March 31, 1931. E. N. JONES 1,798,845

BODY FOR TRANSPORTING CONCRETE Filed Aug 18, 192.8 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Edward N- Tone; b eflm his aftorheg a ww b M Q. a. I

March 31, 1- 131. E N 1,798,845

BODY FOR TRANSPORTING CONCRETE Filed Aug. 18, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FlG.2

INVEQTOR Edward T01 165 his atton me March 31 1931.

E. N. JONES BODY FOR TRANSPORTING CONCRETE Filed Aug. 18, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 1 12 I 9% Io 4 fl 41; F'IG.B. A

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his a fi'arn e Mmh 31, 1931. E. N. JONES 1,798,845

BODY FOR TRANSPORTING CONCRETE Filed Aug. 18, 3 928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOF? Edwa d N- Jones b 101mm awm is attornesn Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITE srarrs PATENT orr-ics EDWARD N. JONES, OF PITTSBURQH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE C. 0. BART- LETT it SNOW COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0'11 OHIO BODY FOR TRANSPORTING CONCRETE Application filed August 18, 19 28.

This invention relates to a vehicular body for transporting and unloading wet concrete, and particularly to a body of this nature which is readily convertible for use in transporting other materials such as sand, gravel, coal, and the like.

During the few years next preceding the date of filling oi the application for Letters Patent on the invention herein described,

central mixing plants have been established in nearly all large cities in which concrete is mixed, and from which it is transported to the places of its use.

Ordinary dump trucks have been commonly used for such transportation. The disadvantage of such procedure is that it com pols the manufacturer of ready mixed concrete to restrict his product to stiff mixes; that is, a mix having a Water content so loW that it is undesirabl harsh and not suflicient ly plastic for satistactory use. This is particularly detrimental when concrete is desired of a consistency permitting it to flow around reinforcing steel.

It is impossible to transport satisfactorily in an ordinary dump truck the wet concrete desired "for many purposes, wet concrete being that having a Water content sufliciently high as to produce a plastic and workable n'iiirture. When the wet concrete is transported in ordinary dump trucks the mixture segregates; that is, the coarse aggregate gravitates to the bottom, while the grout, composed of sand, cement, and water rises above the coarse aggregate. l/Vhen the body of the truck is inclined to unload the concrete, the grout containing the most important ingrec liout, the cement, runs away leaving a portion of the coarse aggregate, stone, slag, or gravel packed in the bottom of the truck. This effect necessitates the use of pointed tools, and greateiiort, in order to dislodge this packed ag 'g'regate. It also necessitates a recondi: tioning of the concrete, by an additional 1nixing operation, in order that the concrete may be in proper condition for pouring.

The present invention prevents the sticking of the coarse aggregate t01the bottom of the truck, by dumping the load from a col- 0 lapsible container to the bottom of the truck Serial No. 300,470.

at the time the concrete is to be unloaded. Tests have shown that the Weight of the concrete causes the mass to fall when the support of the collapsible container is removed.

Segregation occurs when concrete is transported in any kind of vehicle but by use of means capable of performin a function similar to that of the body described herein. This segregation is corrected when the mass is dropped from the collapsible container to the bottom of the truck. The grout, which has risen to the top during transportation of the wet concrete, is Worked back into the mixture through the crater formed in the mass of concrete where it slides to the fioor of the truck. When the truck body is inclined for dun'iping, and the concrete flows out, another relmixing and reconditioning process takes p ace.

Another advantage of the present inventionis that the truck body may be readily converted into a form for use in transporting such common materials as coal, coke, sand, gravel, and the like. This saves the purchaser from the expense of maintaining trucks for such general purposes in addition to trucks providing special equipment for the transportation of concrete.

The foregoing objects are obtained by use of the trucks shown and described in my copending applications Serial No. 205,588, filed July 14th, 1927, and Serial No. 292,689, filed July 14, 1928.

A special object of the present invention is to provide a body for trucks and the like in which the operating means for the false sides constituting the concrete container of the truck are of increased'strength and simplicity. y

A further object of the invention is to generally strengthen the structure comprising the false sides which constitute the concrete container.

A still further object is to provide a body for trucks and the like in which the lower edges of false sides are moved positively into separated position for deposition of concrete on the floor of the truck, thus facilitating the retardation of this outward separating movement.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the truck body of the present invention; Figure 2 is a rear elevation of view taken on the line A-A of Fig. 1, showing the false sides of the truck with their lower edges in juxtaposition to form a concrete container; and Figure 6 is a cross sectional View on the same section line of Fig. 1, showing the sides of the false body or container separated for the deposition of material on the floor of the truck, and in position to provide sides for the truck body.

In the accompanying drawings the reference numeral 1 designatesthe chassis and associated parts of a truck, and the reference numeral 2 designates the true bottom or floor of the truck body, which is arranged to be supported in horizontal position on the chassis or to be tilted into dumping position by any suitable means (not shown).

Attached to the true bottom or floor 2 of the truck are frame members 4:, which may desirably be braced by longitudinally extending members 5 and 6. The concrete retaining structure of the truck comprises primarily two plates 7 and 8. Attached to the outer faces of the plate members 7 and 8 are channel members 9. These channel members embrace rolls 10, which are mounted in brackets 11 on the longitudinal frame members 5. Plates 7 and 8 are interconnected at their upper extremities by means of turn buckles 12 connected with webs 13 on the inner faces of the plates. At the upper extremity of each of the plates 7 and 8 is an inwardly and longitudinally extending flange, or apron, 14, to prevent splashing of material from the container formed by the plates.

The operating means for the members 7 and 8 comprise a longitudinally extending shaft 15 mounted in bearings 16 on the frame members l, and a longitudinally extending shaft 17 mounted in bearings 18 on the frame members 4. On the shaft 15 are one or more crank levers 19, and the shaft 17 has thereon one or more similarly formed levers 20. These levers 19 and 20 are respectively connected with the plates 7 and 8 by meansof arms or links 21 and 22, pivoted to webs 23 and 24: carried by the plates. As shown, the arm 21 is in the formof a turnbuckle, to provide an adjustment of its length in accordance with the throw of the levers 19 and 20, to secure the desired meeting of the lower edges of the plates shown in Figure 5 of the drawlngs. As it is desirable to provide two or more opposed sets of operating levers, one of the arms of each opposed set is provided with a turn buckle.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings, the shafts 15 and 17 carry segmental gears 25 and 26, which mesh with worms 28 and 27 on a transverse shaft 29. Shaft 29 is manually rotatable by means of a crank 30, and the worms 27 and 28 are oppositely pitched in order that rotation of shaft 29 may impart rotation in opposite direction to the longitudinally extending shafts 15 and 17.

order to move the plates 7 and 8 from position shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, in which they provide sides for the truck body, to the position shown in Figure 5 of the drawings in which they form a container, crank 30 is rotated to rotate the longitudinally eX- tending shafts 15 and 17 in such direction as to move the extremities of crank levers 19 and 20 connected with the arms 21 and 22 downwardly and inwardl This action straightens and elongates the composite arms, formed by levers 19 and 21 and levers 20 and 22. To move the lower portion of the plates 7 and 8 upwardly and inwardly during this movement the upper portions of the plates ride on the rolls during their downward movement into the position of Figure 5. The plates are movably supported for movement to bring them into contact, or separate their lower portions, by rollers 31, which are connected with webs 32 and the plates 7 and 8, and which rest on the floor 2. e

In order to prevent strain on the plates, after heir lower edges have been brought into mutual contact, stop members 33 are provided to limit movement of the segmental worm gears 25 and 26 at the point of contact of the lower edges of plates 7 and 8. In order to bring the plates 7 and 8 from the position shown in Figure 5 to the position shown in Figure 6, the crank 30 is rotated in the opposite direction to act on shafts and 17, and swing the lower extremities of levers 19 and outwardly. This action, transmitted to the lower portions of plates 7 and 8 through arms 21 and 22, brings the plates 7 and 8 into the position shown in Figure 6, in which they form sides for a truck body which provides an increased volume for transporting material other than concrete.

It should be understood that in the concrete carrying position shown in Figure 5, separating movement of the lower portions of the plates is prevented merelyby the engagement of worm gears and 26 with worms 28 and '27. During separating movement of the lower portion of the plates, the speed of such separation may be regulated by the speed at which the crank is rotated. A gradual separating movement of the lower portion of the plates, and gradual deposition of the moist concrete on the floor '2, may thus be e'ltected in order to secure the desirable results described in my copending application Serial No. 265,102, filed lvlarch 27th, 1928, for an improvement in a method of reconditioning concrete after transportation.

The turn buckles 12 interconnecting the upper portions of the plates 7 and 8 serve to stiffen the container structure in its various positions, and to secure positive positioning of the plates. The rearward end of the truck body is closed by the rear wall or plate 34, and by doors and 36 which are supported by hinge members 350, and which close the space below the rear wall. The door 36 of the pair is provided with a vertical member 37, which is arranged to overlap the door 35 and lock the same in position when the doors are closed.

The lock for the door comprises a lever 38, which is pivotally mounted at, 39 to the door 36. Adjacent the pivoted point 39, lever 38 carries a pivoted pin 40 arranged to engage in a socket i1, and a second pivoted pin 42 arranged to engage in a socket 48. It the heavier end of the lever 38 lying beyond the pin 42 be raised, both the pins are withdrawn from their engaging sockets so that the door may be swung outwardly. When the door is in closed position the weight of this portion of the lever forces the pins into their locking position. Obviously the door 85 is first closed, and is held in such position by member 37 011 door 36. A discharging platform is positioned at the rearward end of the floor 2, and comprises portion 44 fixed to the floor and an outer portion 45 hinged to the portion is and supported in alignment therewith by means of shafts 4E6 fastened to the rearward portion or the truck frame. The outer gate or chute portion 43 carries angular-1y disposed stop members 47.

In order to discharge a load of concrete trom the truck, the heavy end of the locking lever 38 is raised to withdraw pins 40 and 42, and permit the opening of the doors 36 and 35 into the position in which they lie against stop members 47 to provide a chute having a constricted opening. The concrete may then be delivered from the truck through the chute thus formed by a tilting movement of the floor 2, produced by any suitable means.

Prior to this actual discharge of the concrete, the concrete is deposited on the floor of the track by the separating movement of the plates 7 and 8, previously described. During its delivery to the floor 2 the mass of the material flows in upon itself, and is thoroughly agitated, thus distributing through the body of the coarser aggregate the grout which has graviated to the surface of the mass. It is desirable that movement of the plates should not be too rapid, as a retarded movement produces a better remix ing effect. The separating movement of the plates may be regulated, as previously stated,

by regulating the speed at which crank 30 is rotated.

What I claim 'is:

1. In truck body construction, the combi nation of a floor, a collapsible hopper having movable sides arranged above said floor, the side elements of the hopper rotatably united at their upper edges by means of rigid braces, said elements when in collapsed condition being arranged to extend in vertical position adjacent the edges of the floor thereby serving to provide sides extending upwardly from said floor, and operable means for collapsing and reforming said hopper.

2. In truck body construction the combination of a tiltable floor, a collapsible hopper having movable sides arranged above said tiltable floor,the side elements of the hopper rotatably united at their upper edges by means of rigid braces, said elements when in collapsed condition being arranged to 6X- tend in vertical position adjacent the edges of the floor thereby serving to provide sides extending upwardly from said floor, rotary means for laterally supporting said elements and operable means for collapsing and reforming said hopper.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD N. JONES. 

